St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-08-06
BAKING SICK INDIANS

k66010E80OoO WY OF 1B00tUW8 uDUDOU0O IN
Vogue Among the Apachea.
To combat their ailments they have
only the usual superstitious rites of a
few ignorant medicine men," and &C.
casionally make use of those heroic and
barbarous treatments so common with
savages. says Lieutenant Schwatka,
writing Of Apache customs. One Of
these. think. may be interesting. A
great hole, large enough to receive the
body Of tho invalid in recumbent po-
sition. is dug in the ground. In this ex-
cavation fire is maintained until the
ground is heated to its greatest possible
extent, when the embers and ashes are
scraped out Several layers Of damp
mud are Immediately used to plaster the
walls Of this fiery furnace, and the in
valid is then placed within and covered
up with mud. the head alone protruding.
The escaping steam makes the torture
endured by the poor wretch for the
thirty-six to forty-cight hours Of misery
in the prison Of baked clay oftentimes
insupportable. and but few survive the
severe ordeal. A Mojavs squaw. with
the Americanized name of Polly"
rallied from this terrible inquisition.
but it took the kindest treatment for
two months under the care Of . white
physician to save her life.
Nearly oil the Apaches are addicted to
tattoong, their faces and wrists being
usually adorned, and. rs far ~ I casu-
ally noticed. there being no difference
between the men and women. Paints
and pigments Of all characters are
eagerly sought for temporary personal
ornamentation. the Yumas and Mojaves
even descending to stove-polish. boot
blacking and mud. Undoubtedly the
latter. in some Of its applications, serves
q more practical purpose than mere
ornamentation. A thin coating Of soft
clay is matted through the hair and
then plastered carefully down upon the
skull, until it resemblea when dry,
shining bald head or an inverted earthen
bowl. This is left on for two or three
days until it has subserved its purpose
of deadly destruction. when the earthly
skull-cap is broken with . stick and the
beating process continued until every
particle of dust is thoroughly eradi-
Gated, when the hair is washed with
the soft pulp Of the root Of the Yucca
palm. which produces . soapy lather.
After this the hair ID theoretically
rinsed and then whipped in the open air
until dry. From al this manipulation it
emerges a. glossy and As soft Is silk.
This Yucca palm is commonly known
- the Spanish bayonet and oftentimes
= the soap-weed. the latter name being
evidently derived from this peculiar
use By the Indians and Aexicans. 1t
is one Of the most extensively common
plants Of Apache land and contiguous
countries. and it Is well for those local
tiles that . commercial use has been
found for this abundant weed-its pulp.
according to recent experiments. bid
ding fair to give very fine grade Of
printing-paper. Thus the vulgar soap
weed that cleanses the outside Of the
Apache's head may yet improve its
interior through the medium Of the
press.-CeasSsv.
Tho communistic colony It PORT
Angeles. on Puget Sound. now numbers
$50 persons. They own two thousand
acres Of land. and expect to build and
operate q saw-mill soon. Unlike other
successful colonies. they profess no ~.
igiOus basis, and cast aside creed